


Beautiful Stranger

by WandaHoya



Series: That Grin of His [4]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Advance Guard, F/M, Flirting, Love Triangle, Misunderstandings, One-Sided Attraction, Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter), mission
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-17
Updated: 2019-07-17
Packaged: 2020-06-30 08:30:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19849399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WandaHoya/pseuds/WandaHoya
Summary: A misunderstanding occurs on a mission.“Let’s just say I have a taste for the danger,” Tonks said accompanying it with a meaningful sideways glance towards Remus. Unfortunately for Tonks, Remus took it all wrong.Nymphadora Tonks is obsessed with Remus Lupin. It’s cute at first. Then it’s not.





	Beautiful Stranger

**Author's Note:**

> The story continues. As always, all the love and thanks for my dear beta Remus M Lupin <3
> 
> The title, inspiration and some quotes are taken from Madonna's song Beautiful Stranger. See the end notes for the links to the lyrics and to the song.

Tonks enjoyed the light summer breeze hitting her face as she leaned her back against the brickwall of the forlorn muggle building that served as their meeting point. It was a fairly warm, early August evening and she felt over-dressed in her heavy travelling cloak. There was no doubt though that the cloak would very much be needed as their mission was going to mostly take place up in the cold skies. Tonks shifted her eyes to the blue sky that was turning into a darker shade minute by minute, trying to ignore the gray smoke lingering in the air next to her.

“That’s not good for your health, Moody,” Remus said pointing at Alastor’s cigarette, a mischievous smirk on his lips. Moody stared back at him with a sour look on his face.

“Well, we’re in a war, you gotta have some pleasures, eh?” He grunted as he passed the cigarette to Remus. Remus took it eagerly and inhaled the toxin deeply. Tonks couldn’t stand smoking, but she had to admit the smoke gave a certain atmosphere for their mission. It reminded her of those secret agent muggle films her dad adored.

“I couldn’t agree more,” Remus grinned. He took another smoke, and holding his breath he handed the cigarette back to Alastor.

“Thanks, Moody,” he said, letting the smoke out,

“Damn this is intense.”

Although Tonks was quite enjoying the mood herself too, she felt like she should point out that being a part of this highly important and very dangerous mission of getting Harry Potter out of his muggle home was a damn intense experience itself even without the added smoke effect. But when Remus suddenly searched her eyes, she gave up the idea of scolding him. She was a hostage for that amber gaze and everything else lost its meaning at that instant.

“I’m sorry, Tonks, I should’ve offered to you too…”

“Hey it’s okay. I don’t smoke, Alastor knows,” she shook her head while straightening up and stepping closer to the men, smiling as sweetly as she could at Remus. After the recent incident with Sirius in Remus’ room, things had been quite weird at Number 12 Grimmauld Place. It felt good to see Remus outside of the house for a change. 

“Yes, she’s the smart one,” Moody said while he put out the cigarette and made it vanish before he continued: 

“You never told me how did it go with that bloke from the ministry? He seemed like a wizard who could really appreciate a sharp witch like you, Tonks.”

Tonks winced. 

_ Why did Mad-Eye have to ask that in front of Remus? _

By  _ that bloke _ Moody was referring to a blind date Kingsley had set up some months ago. It all seemed so long ago, a different life time. After joining the order she had been busy juggling between her demanding job and being a secret order member. Dating was the last thing on her mind. Except for dating Remus Lupin of course.

“Oh that. Not my type of guy. Very boring,” she said hastily trying to think of a way to smoothly change the topic. Unfortunately Alastor already clung on to her words taking the discussion further. 

“Boring is safe and sound. It’s something that should be valued in the midst of war, young woman,” Moody growled looking impatiently at his watch. Tonks noticed Remus was eyeing her curiously. Tonks felt like she needed to make sure Remus understood she was available. For him. 

“Let’s just say I have a taste for the danger,” Tonks said accompanying it with a meaningful sideways glance towards Remus, but she didn’t dare to put all of her flirtatious soul into it as Moody’s magical eye had never left her during the conversation. Unfortunately for Tonks, Remus took it all wrong. 

“Well perhaps that explains your recent fascination towards this certain Azkaban escapee,” Remus said slyly, a weird smirk dancing on his lips. 

“My what?!” Tonks splurged, staring at Remus with eyes wide as saucers. 

“No! I...oh Merlin no! I mean...just no, okay? NO!” Incoherent spluttering and denying it repeatedly was all Tonks could produce at the moment. She felt a faint blush creeping on her cheeks which probably made her seem guilty as charged. Tonks was going rapidly through in her mind what in the seven hells had made Remus Lupin think she had any love interest in her mother’s cousin. Was it because Remus had found her and Sirius in his room together? Or had Tonks seemed too eagerly interested in Sirius although she had only been trying to show understanding and sympathy towards his tragic situation? No matter how hard Tonks tried to analyze the past summer in the Order, she couldn’t understand why Remus would hint she felt anything romantic towards Sirius.

“It’s no wonder though, Sirius has always been able to draw to the ladies’ attention,” Remus continued like he hadn’t heard Tonks at all. Tonks huffed loudly just to give an audible objection. The annoying smirk was still playing on his lips while Tonks made an effort to compose herself. She cleared her mind and aimed her sharp glance at Remus to try and investigate the man and his motives. 

_ The smile seems false, _ she noticed, remarking how his eyes weren’t reflecting the amused emotion and the grin appeared forced, like his lips were glued to the twisted position. 

_ Jealousy,  _ she concluded. She just wasn’t sure of which one them Remus was feeling jealous about.

“Well, Remus, I think you have misunderstood,” she said, speaking the words as calmly as she could. Her insides were still boiling.

“Well that’s a relief,” Moody growled,

“You are related after all. Not that it has ever stopped Blacks from marrying each other.”

“I’m gonna braid that old beard of yours if you ever refer me as a Black again! I’m a Tonks for Godric’s sake!” Tonks snapped, hoping that her outburst didn’t sound like she was making excuses to marry Sirius. For a long moment none of them said anything. Tonks’ only comfort was that the unsettling smirk had finally died on Remus’ lips. He was now resting his back against the brickwall and twirling his wand between his fingers, seemingly lost deep in his own thoughts. Moody stared at his watch impatiently. Moody was one of those people who were always nervous with timetables and such, even when everybody was right on time and everything was going perfectly according to the plan. 

“So you were able to secure that the muggles are away tonight?” Remus asked Moody as he pocketed his wand, probably just to give them something light to talk about instead of the long silence.

“It was all Tonks,” Moody pointed out, reluctantly taking his eyes off from his watch. 

“Really? Magnificent Tonks,” Lupin nodded at Tonks, granting a wonderful smile alongside the compliment. Tonks answered his smile, trying to shrug off the awkward tension still lingering between them. 

“Yes! This brilliant young auror fabricated a letter about this grass award…”

“All-England Best-Kept Lawn, Alastor,” Tonks corrected. Remus was still smiling at her. It was encouraging.

“Yes yes. Well anyway the muggles are gone for the fake contest and we have the time we need to retrieve Potter safely.” 

“It’s important for their kind of muggles,” Tonks continued after Moody, trying her best to make Remus keep his eyes at her,

“They love to grow some grass and then cut it away. Then they let it grow again and cut away. They take very much pride in it and enjoy compete about it.”

“Fascinating,” Remus said with a lovely gleam of playfulness in the corner of his eye. 

“Yes. And I even went that far that I posted the letter the muggle way --”

“No detail is left unattended when this lady is in the business,” Moody interjected, giving one more angry look at his watch before he patted Tonks’ shoulder,

“You really can tell she was one of my pupils.”

“I agree, wholeheartedly, Moody,” Remus said, winking his eye at Tonks. Even though the gesture was subtle and literally over in an eye blick, it was enough to make Tonks’ heart skip a beat. Remus Lupin was flirting with her. It was just the kind of attention she was so badly craving from him. It felt even more amazing after the horrible misunderstanding about her romantic interest. 

Keeping her dark eyes fixed on Remus and this time ignoring Moody completely, she began to mince blatantly seductively towards him, letting a soft chuckle out of her throat. She was ready to throw herself at him, pin him between the brickwall and herself, push her sex against his groin just to make it clear where her love interest lied.

“Well Lupin, coincidentally I have a big heart and--” 

Much to her displeasure she was cut off by Moody’s loud coughing.

_ Such a bloody chaperon, aren’t you Mad-Eye,  _ she thought bitterly as she stopped her way, giving a forced, acknowledging glance towards Moody’s direction.

“You okay, Alastor?”

“We are on duty, you bloody blockheads! Dementors, in a muggle area for Godric's sake! This is not the time nor the place for fooling around.”

“Of course, Moody,” Lupin agreed sheepishly and reluctantly Tonks yielded too and composed her professional appearance, giving one more longing glance towards Remus.

A small faint pop and some distant cursing suggested someone had just apparated to the venue. More pops followed and a loud crack. 

“Finally!” Moody snarled while pulling his wand out in the open.

“Chill out Mad-Eye! They’re right on time even though you’ve kept on checking that clock like it took a piss in your cheerios this morning,” Tonks snapped, maybe a bit too forcefully. She felt frustrated being denied making her move with Remus. 

“Let’s get done with the identifying part and the mighty advance guard is ready to take off,” Remus said cheerily trying desperately to hide the laughter in his throat Tonks’ retort had caused. Tonks followed his lead and they approached the corner of the building. Suddenly Remus turned around and grabbed Tonks by her shoulders.

“By the way,” he said and leaned close to her. The sudden cloud of fresh aftershave enclosed her; an exciting and very sexy mixture of cedarwood and pineapple. The scent and the close proximity made her want to taste him desperately. To press her lips softly against his cheek, to run her tongue alongside his throat and to sink her teeth in the crook of his neck. 

“I might introduce you to everyone as Nymphadora tonight,” he whispered to her ear.

“Oh no you wouldn’t,” Tonks snorted giving him a push but in a split second he had wrapped his arm around her waist and was holding her still.

“Oh yes I would,  _ Nymphadora, _ ” he grinned and gave her hip a squeeze through the heavy cloak. And there it was, the alluring, the most attractive grin Tonks had missed ever since she first witnessed it. In a split second it was over. Remus had gone behind the corner and the hand had left her side. 

Tonks closed her eyes and took a deep breath in order to get her concentration back to the mission. She savoured a quick vivid image of her and Remus tangled around each other sharing a passionate kiss, butt naked, under a waterfall in the most cheesiest sunset she could imagine. Then she slowly let her breath out, exhaling the distraction out of her mind. When she opened her eyes Mad-Eye Moody was standing in front of her and not looking happy.

“If you’re smart you run away from this one,” Moody grunted eyeing at her like he knew exactly where her mind had been just a second ago.

_ Oh Godric, is that disturbing blue eye able to see thoughts now too?  _

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Tonks asked crossing her arms and gaining all the defiance to her appearance.

“You know what I mean,” Moody growled, at first seeming like he wasn’t going to explain himself. As an interrogative lift of an eyebrow was all the answer Tonks provided to him, he glanced over his shoulder as if he was making sure no one was listening to them before his expression softened and he continued: 

“Look Tonks. I know it’s easy to fall in love with a funny and brave stranger but sometimes the happily ever after really doesn’t meet the expectations.”

He spoke with the special fatherly tone that was reserved for these kinds of moments where the old people shared guidance nobody had asked for. Tonks’ eyes narrowed as she stared Moody’s magical eye down.

“Well I’m not that smart, so I guess I stay,” Tonks said pushing past Moody and hastening after Lupin.

**Author's Note:**

> Beautiful Stranger by Madonna  
> [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/track/3DlRZM6zKSlAZigHbJQ3cp?si=NS4uHZ26R9u_5pto8UuO7w)  
> [AZLyrics](https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/madonna/beautifulstranger.html)


End file.
